Hiss heats up, sparks Basehor-Linwood field events

Bobcats’ track squad continues to make progress, but remains hampered by injuries

Jesse Hiss is getting healthy and looks to be improving in his field events each week.

He set a personal record in the shot put early last week at the Baldwin Invitational with a throw of 46 feet, 3 inches. He also placed third in the javelin.

On Thursday, he placed first in the shot put and placed fifth in the javelin at the Tonganoxie Invitational.

Hiss has led a stronger contingent of field events athletes this spring.

In two of the Bobcats’ last three meets, the team has been in first place at the conclusion of the field events. The Bobcats just haven’t had enough runners place to compete for a high finish in the overall team standings.

The Bobcats competed in two track meets last week. Here is a look at the results.

BALDWIN INVITATIONAL

In addition to Hiss’s performance in the shot put, Jake Powell placed third in the event.

Jay Kraemer placed first in the javelin.

Brian Pemberton won the pole vault and Tyler Simpson took third.

BLHS also was strong in the jumps as Bobby Courtney won the high jump and finished third in the long jump. Skylar Ross was third in the high jump and fifth in the triple jump.

In the girls’ competition, Haylee Williams placed second in the high jump. She earned her first varsity medal.

TONGANOXIE INVITATIONAL

BLHS also competed in the Tonganoxie Invitational on Thursday. The boys finished fourth as a team and the girls took fifth out of seven schools.

Hiss led the way with a first-place finish in the shot put with a distance of 43-10 and a fourth-place finish in the discus (113-0 1/2). Hiss also finished fifth in the javelin with a mark of 131-11.

Powell bolstered the Bobcats in the throws by finishing fifth in the shot put (40-2).

The Bobcat jumpers also were strong. Ben Johnson placed second in the high jump with a clearance of 5-6 and Ross tied for fourth with a mark of 5-4. Leo Budy finished third in the triple jump at 37-5 and Lane Young was fifth in the long jump with a distance of 19-4 1/2.

Pemberton rounded out the Bobcats’ success in the field events as he took third in the pole vault with a jump of 10-6.

Daniel Prioleau was the lone sprinter to place. He took second in the 100 in 11.3 — well off his school-record mark of 10.78 set a week earlier at the Bobcat Relays.

The Bobcats thrived in the middle distances. The 3,200-meter relay team of Bryce Garver, Wyatt Kelly, Jonathan Oliva and Miles Brown took third in 9:17.16. In addition, Garver took fifth in the 800 in 2:20.56, Oliva was fifth in the 1,600 in 5:13.07, Kelly took fifth in the 3,200 in 11:39.3 and Rob Peterson was sixth in 11:46.4.

BLHS did not compete in two relays because of injuries.

Dakkota Edmonds led the BLHS girls with a first-place finish in the 100 in 12.83 and a second-place finish in the 200 in 27.03. Kayla Peterson took fourth in the 3,200 in 13:54.64 and Courtney Inlow — competing in her first race since suffering an injury — finished sixth in the 100 hurdles in 18.03.

Shelby Equels placed third in the long jump (14-7 3/4) and placed fourth in the triple jump (31-8). Melissa Seaman placed third in the high jump (4-10).

“We had several individuals do very well — Dakkota Edmonds and Shelby Equels in particular both placing in their individual events,” said Steve Hopkins, BLHS track coach.

The Bobcats have battled injuries and illnesses this season. They have competed in most meets without a full team. The Bobcats will compete at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Bonner Springs Invitational, and will not have a full lineup. Hopkins said he is eager to see how his team competes with a full squad.

“We will have a full team finally next week at Marysville unless more injuries or illnesses occur,” he said. “We have most of our team for this Thursday at Bonner, but not all events will be filled. We are scoring in several events, and our times are improving. Our field events are really doing well.”